Internal support for packing boxes



June 5, 1956 R. l.. WILKINSON 2,749,013

INTERNAL SUPPORT FOR PACKING BOXES Filed April 14, 1954 47 m7 1717 u 47 2 r f 1N VEN TOR.

r* 2,7 49,013 Patented June 5, 1956 i 2,749,013 INTERNAL SUPPORT FOR PACKING BOXES Robert L. Wilkinson, Norwalk, Calif., assignor to International Paper Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 14, 1954, serial No. 423,119

3 Claims. (C1. 229-14) This invention relates in general to packing boxes, and more particularly, to a separate combination support and protection piece fabricated from corrugated paperboard or the like which may be inserted into such boxes.

When ycertain types of equipment, such as a water heater, for example, is to be placed in a packing box it is desirable to have a bottom support which will hold the heater in position so that any top or bottom projecting flanges or'leg supports incorporated on the heater will not be broken ofi".

Preveiously packing box supports have been made, for either the top or bottom of shipping containers, which have been arranged to position equipment away from either end thereof and to provide some protection for any projecting elements. However, such supports are of a complex construction and must be completely changed in size, shape and arrangement according to the size, shape and weight of the equipment to be packed. They are bulky and take up a great amount of space when shipped or stored by themselves.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a combination protector and support for shipping containers which is of simple, one-piece construction, easily made in various sizes and shapes depending on the equipment to be supported, from a single flat blank of corrugated paperboard or the like, and which forms a selfsupporting polygonal-shaped structure when erected.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a blank of a strong, light-weight material, such as corrugated paperboard, which can be easily and inexpensively assembled to provide a` self-sustaining, multi-sided, multi-ply, packing-box support having a minimum of fastenings.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an end-pad structure adapted to be used in a packing box for the protection and/or` support of the object to be shipped which is formed by a single unit of paperboard, r

cut, scored and slit into panels and flaps to provide a multi-ply, multi-sided structure which may be formed quickly and cheaply in various sizes and shapes merely by varying the dimensions or number of the panel sides.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a corrugated packing box support made of one-piece construction in which panels are set olf and scored so that they may be reversely folded to form a multi-sided selfsupporting packing box support which may be fastened together at one position.

For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a plan View of a corrugated paperboard blank from which a hexagonal end-pad structure is constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled end-pad structure;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the assembled end-pad structure;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the corner construction of the hexagonal pad structure.

Referring now particularly to Fig. l, ya sheet of corrugated paperboard or other suitable material of substantial thickness is cut and scored by any suitable means to form the blank illustrated. This blank comprises in this instance six equisized panels 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, but there may be a smaller or larger number or size of panels, depending upon the size and shape supporting structure to be formed. The six panels so chosen will form a hexagonal-shaped, self-sustaining support when assembled, whereas other shaped self-sustaining supports may be formed by using different shapes or quantities of panels.

Each panel is scored along vertical lines 16, 17, 18, 19 and 26 along its boundary with the next adjacent panel so that all may be bent along the score lines upon erection. At the end of panel 15 on the side furthest from the remaining panels is a stitch tab or paste tab 21 which is substantially the same height as the panels but less than one-third the width. This tab is normally pressed ilat, as is a corresponding portion 21a on panel 10, in order to permit the tab to fit together with this portion on panelv 1t) without projecting from the face after erection. The tab is scored along vertical line 22 along its boundary with tlap 15 in order to permit it to be bent into positionV over the portion of panel 10 when assembled.

At the top end of and integral with each panel there is a set of ilaps. In this instance there are sets of three contiguous, tapered aps: 23, 24 and 25 extend above panel 10; three similar aps 26, 27 and 28 extend above panel .11; three more, 29, 30 and 31 extend above panel 12; another three, 32, 33 and 34 extend above panel 13; another three, 35, 36 and 37 extend above panel 14; and the last three, 38, 39 and 40 extend above panel 15. Each set of flaps is tapered along their length in such a way that the width of the aps becomes less the greater the distance out from the panels. The flaps are tapered so that they may form the walls of successively smaller, inner hexagons when assembled, in a manner to be described more fnlly hereinafter.

Between each panel 1i), 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 and its adjacent'ap 23, 26, 29, 32, 35 and 38 the blank is scored on the side of the blank facing upwardly and slit on the opposite side along a horizontal line 41. The slit is cut through the outer ply and through a major portion of the corrugated material. Between the first row of flaps 23, 26, 29, 32, 35 and 3S and the second row of flaps 24, 27, 3.9, 33, 36 and 39 the blank is slit on the side facing upwardly and scored on the opposite side along a horizontal line 42; the slit in this case also extending through the outer face of the ply and through a major portion of the corrugated material. The outer two rows of aps 25, 28, 31, 34, 37 and 40 and 24, 27, 30, 33, 36 and 39 are separated by horizontal scores made on the side of the blank facing upwardly and by slits made on the opposite side. Both the scores and the slits extend along line 43 in a manner similar to the scores and slits along the line 41.

Tapered slots 44 are cut in the blank and extend from the upper portion of the outer flaps to the top edge of the panels. These slots permit the accordion folding of the flaps downwardly adjacent the panels and each succeeding flap in a set. The panels are subsequently joined at the panel ends, whereby the aps of each row which make up one continuous inner wall are wedged against each adjacent flap in a row, as shown in Fig. 5, to form a selfsustaining unit after the tab 21 is fastened in place.

The hexagonal structure shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is formed from the blank by first folding the panels about the vertical score lines 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 and bringing the ends of panels 10 and 15 together and joining them by stapling the tab 21 which is folded about score line 22 onto the shaded portion 21a of panel 10. Each set of flaps is then folded in an accordion manner downwardly along the lines 41, upwardly along the lines 42 and downwardly along the lines 43 until the faces of each ilap are in juxtaposition and parallel to each other and to the adjacent panel. Each set of folded aps must be wedged in place against the set of flaps laterally adjacent. In this position the structure includes a series of hexagonal walls of diminishing lateral size, the outer one being formed by the panels and each succeeding inner one by a succeeding row of flaps. Since the hexagonal units and walls become laterally smaller toward the center the aps are tapered inwardly sufficiently so that they will be smaller for each succeeding hexagonal unit in a direction toward the center, b

Referring to Fig. 4, all the aps fit juxtaposed alongside.

each other and the outer panels after assembly. In this position the structure has straight top and bottom edges as a result of the slitting along the lines 41, 42 and 43. From the drawing it can be seen that the scored side of the lines 41, 42 and 43 falls on the inside of the folded portions.

The stapled tab 21 fits into the attened out portion 21a of panel 10 as shown in Fig. 3, giving the erected structure a smooth outer wall contour. In the assembled position the complete set of flaps and panels form a tight, selfsustaining hexagonal structure with the parts intertting as shown in Fig. 5. Longitudinally adjacent flaps butt together after the hexagonal shape is formed, and wedge against the sides of each other so as to form a rigid, erected structure.

This invention is particularly characterized by its ease of manufacture and assembly. The blank needs merely to be stamped out and slit and scored as necessary, and the structure assembled merely by folding and stapling. 'Ihe blank may be stored or shipped in a knocked-down shape, eliminating the necessity for a large amount of storage space prior to its use as a shipping container protective or supporting pad.

The pad structure can be made with as many walls as desired merely by adding or subtracting a panel and set of flaps. in the drawings is particularly advantageous for the support of a heater, or similar apparatus, having four projecting legs one of each of which tits over the edge of the hexagon between the container and a diagonal side of the hexagon.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the The hexagonal shape of the embodiment shown invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

l claim:

l. A selfsupporting packing box protective and supporting pad formed from a single blank of corrugated paperboard or the like comprising a substantially rigid polygonal structure formed from a plurality of outside panel walls folded at the junctures with each other and connected at the ends, and a plurality of integral inner walls joined to each of said outer walls and alternately reverse folded in juxtaposition therewith, the width of each said inner wall panels being sufficiently great that its lateral edges are in frictional engagement with the lateral edges of each next adjacent inner wall whereby to maintain all of said inner walls in their folded positions relative to the outer wall panels and to maintain the said polygonal structure in a self-supporting condition.

2. A self-sustaining shipping container combination support and protective pad blank made of corrugated paperboard or the like, comprising a plurality of foldable panels arranged laterally adjacent each other, a stitch tab extending from a vertical edge of an end one of said panels, a set of aps extending from a horizontal edge of each of said panels, each of said sets of aps being tapered inwardly in a direction away from said panels, the flaps of each of said sets being demarcated from their associated panel and from each other by a plurality of alternately reversed spaced parallel sets of slits and scores about which said aps are foldable in an accordion manner in parallelism with the face of said panel.

3. A self-sustaining shipping container combination support and protective pad made of corrugated paperboard or the like, comprising a plurality of laterally adjacent joined panels folded about their junctures into a polygonal structure, means to secure said panels as a closed polygon, and a set of integral tapered aps extending from a horizontal edge of each of said panels, the aps of each of said sets being demarcated from their associated panel and from each other by alternately reversed parallel sets of slits and scores spaced a distance equal to the height of said panels about which said aps are folded in an accordionlike manner to form multiple thickness walls, the taper of said sets of flaps being such that when the flaps have been folded into inner wall forming positions the lateral edges of each flap will be frictionally engaged in abutting relation with the lateral edges of adjacent fiaps whereby to lock the complete polygonal padstructure into its rigid self-sustaining formation.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,238,364 Wallace Aug. 28. 1917 1,973,930 Rammer Sept. 18, 1934 1,996,965 Keppler Apr. 9, 1935 2,670,122 Davidson et al Feb. 23, 1954 

